Jamaican English

English in Jamaica goes back to the mid 17th century when the English seized the island from the Spanish. Later some English settled there, but much larger numbers of African slaves were transported to the island and many escaped from other parts of the Caribbean and sought refuge in the centre of the island. A creole developed in Jamaica which survives to this day. The basilectal form is quite distinct from standard English with its own morphology and syntax and is virtually incomprehensible to outsiders. In pronunciation, Jamaican English (on various levels) is syllable-timed, non-rhotic, has simplified consonant clusters and diphthongisation of mid front vowels, e.g. [fiəs] for face.

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